The present invention relates to a lever-type connector.
When a pair of connectors having a waterproof function and a shield function are fitted with each other and removed from each other by hand, not only a waterproofing seal ring disposed in one connector is slidingly contacted with the peripheral surface of the other connector to thereby produce frictional resistance, but also the outer peripheral surface of a shield shell disposed in one connector is slidingly contacted with the inner peripheral surface of a shield shell disposed in the other connector to thereby produce frictional resistance; and, these two kinds of frictional resistance impede the smooth fitting and removing operations of the two connectors.
In view of the above, in order to improve the operation efficiency of the fitting and removing operations of the two connectors, there is used a structure in which a lever is rotatably disposed in one connector, a cam pin is disposed in the other connector, the cam pin is engaged into a cam groove formed in the lever and, in the thus engaged state, the lever is rotated to thereby fit the two connectors with each other or remove them from each other. According to this structure, even when the rotation operation force is small, due to the cam action (leverage), a large fitting force or a large removing force can be applied to the two connectors.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the case of the above-mentioned lever-type connector 100, a lever 102 of the connector 100 includes an operation part 103 formed narrow and long in the right and left direction thereof, and a pair of plate-shaped arm parts 104 respectively projected from the two end portions of the operation part 103, while there are formed two cam grooves 105 respectively in the two arm parts 104; and, two bearing holes 107 respectively formed in the two arm parts 104 are fitted with their associated support shafts 106 provided on and projected from the right and left outer side surfaces of a connector housing 101, whereby the lever 102 can be rotatably supported on the connector housing 101. When fitting this lever-side connector 100 with its mating connector (not shown), the lever 102 is positioned at a given wait position and the entrances of the cam grooves 105 are opened toward the cam pins (not shown) of the mating connector; and, in this state, the two connectors are moved closer to each other to thereby advance the cam pins into the entrances of the cam grooves and, in this state, the lever 102 is rotated.
When the lever 102 is present at the above wait position, there is a possibility that the projecting end portions 104A of the arm parts 104 respectively projected from the operation parts 103 can face downward depending on the fitting direction of the two connectors, the shapes of the cam grooves 105, and the shape of the connector housing 101.
When an operator carelessly slips his or her hands to thereby drop down the lever-type connector 100 onto a floor surface, in case where the lever-type connector 100 is inclined slightly, the projecting end portions 104A of the arm parts 104 firstly collide with the floor surface G and, therefore, the drop impact of the connector 100 due to the weight of the lever-side connector 100 and the weight of an electric wire connected to the lever-type connector 100 is wholly applied onto the arm parts 104. As a result of this, there is a fear that the lever 102 can be broken or the lever 102 can be removed from the support shafts 106.
Especially, when the lever-type connector is used in a circuit such as a power circuit in an electric car through which a large current flows, since a terminal metal member and an electric wire are thick and heavy in weight, the drop impact of the connector is great and thus the damage of the lever is great accordingly.
The present invention aims at eliminating the drawbacks found in the above-mentioned conventional lever-type connector. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a lever-type connector which can prevent the lever against damage when the connector drops down onto the floor.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a lever-type connector, wherein a lever including an operation part and a pair of arm parts respectively extended from the two ends of the operation part, the arm parts of the lever being supported respectively on the two right and left outer side surfaces of a connector housing; the lever is situated at its wait position, the entrances of cam grooves respectively formed in the arm parts are opened toward a mating connector, cam pins are respectively moved into the entrances of the cam grooves, and the lever is rotated, thereby fitting the lever-type connector with the mating connector; and, in a state where the lever is situated at the wait position, the projecting end portions of the arm parts projected from the operation part face downward, characterized in that, in the two right and left end portions of the lower surface of the connector housing, there are disposed impact receive portions which, in a state where the lever is situated at the wait position, are projected downwardly of the projecting end portions of the arm parts.
Also, according to a second aspect of the invention, in a lever-type connector as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, the impact receive portions are formed so as to be adjacent and opposed to the inner surfaces of the projecting end portions of the arm parts.
Further, according to a third aspect of the invention, in a lever-type connector as set forth in the first or second aspect of the invention, the impact receive portions are formed so as to fill up clearances existing respectively between the projecting end portions of the arm parts and the outer side surfaces of the connector housing.
According to a lever-type connector as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, when the present lever-type connector drops down in the posture that the lever is situated at the wait position and the projecting end portions of the arm parts face downward, the impact receive portions firstly collide with a drop surface and thus most of the drop impact of the lever-type connector is received by the impact receive portions. Therefore, there is hardly a possibility that the drop impact of the lever-type connector can be applied to the projecting end portions of the arm parts.
In case where the present lever-type connector drops down, there is a fear that, after the impact receive portions collide with the drop surface once, the lever-type connector can jump up and, when it drops down again, the projecting end portions of the arm parts can be butted against the drop surface or the projecting end portions of the arm parts can be butted against other members existing on the drop surface. However, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the impact receive portions are respectively disposed adjacent and opposed to the inner surfaces of the projecting end portions of the arm parts, even in case where the projecting end portions of the arm parts are going to flex toward the outer side surfaces of the connector housing, the projecting end portions are contacted with the impact receive portions, which prevents the projecting end portions from flexing greatly. Therefore, there can be eliminated the fear that the lever can be broken or can be removed from the connector housing due to the flexed projecting end portions of the arm parts.
As described above, in case where the present lever-type connector drops down, there is a fear that, after the impact receive portions collide with the drop surface once, the lever-type connector can jump up and, when it drops down again, the projecting end portions of the arm parts can be butted against the drop surface or the projecting end portions of the arm parts can be butted against other members existing on the drop surface. However, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the clearances respectively existing between the projecting end portions of the arm parts and the outer side surfaces of the connector housing are filled up by the impact receive portions, there is no fear that the projecting end portions of the lever can be flexed toward the side surface side of the connector housing. This can eliminate the fear that the lever can be broken or can be removed from the connector housing due to the flexed projecting end portions of the arm parts.